San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-05-16

| MS cup lONdIu lilaI dppTeclallNe COM
rade, who also held out his own. They
I clinked together, the eyes OF the rest OF
the room hanging upon the singers
actions. He parted his lips for the
third verse, but ut that moment another
knock was audible upon the door. This
time the knock was faint and hesitat-
ing.
The company seemed scared; the
shepherd looked with CONSERVATION to-
ward the entrance, and il was with some
effort that he resisted his alarmed wifes
deprecatory glance, and uttered for the
third time the welcoming words. walk
inl"
| The door was gently opened, and an
other man stood upon the mat. He,
like those who had preceded him, was a
stranger. This time it was short,
small parsonage, Of fair complexion,
and dressed in decent suit of dark
| clothes.
Can yon tell me the way to p" he
began, when, gazing round the room to
observe the nature of the company
| among whom he had fallen, his ewes
lighted on the stranger in cinder-gray.
1t was just at the instant when the lat
ter, who had thrown his mind into his
song with such will that he scarcely
needed the interruption, silenced all
whispers and inquiries by bursting into
his third verse:
| Tomorrow in my working day,
| Simple shepherds all
| Tomorrow is working day for me;
For the farmers sheep Is slain, and the
| lad who did IL ta'en.
The stranger in the chimney-corner
waving cups with the singer so hearth
| ly that his mead sphshed over on the
hearth, repeated in his bass voice as be-
fore:
And on his soul may God ha mercyl
All this time the third stranger had
been standing in the doorway. Find
| ing now that he did not come forward
or go on speaking, the guests particu-
larry regarded him. They noticed to
their surprise that he stood before them
the picture of abiect terror his knees
trembling, his hands shaking so violent
lv that the doorlatch by which he sup
ported himself ratified audibly; his white
lips were parted, and his eyes fixed on
the merry officer of justice in the mid
die of the room. A moment more and
he had turned, closed the door, and fled.
"What man can 1t bep" said the
shepherd. Tue rest, between the aw-
fulness of their late discovery and the
odd conduct of this third visitor, looked
as if they knew not what to think and
said nothing, Instinctively they with.
drew further and further from the grim
gentleman in the midst, whom some of
them seemed to take for the prince of
darkness himself, till they formed re-
mote circle, an empty space OF floor be-
ing left between them and him
-circulus cuius centrum diabolus.
The room was so silent-though there
were more than twenty people in it
that nothing could be heard but the
patter of the rain against the window
shutters, accompanied by the OCCASION
al hiss of stray drop that fell down
the chimney into the fire, and the steady
putting of the man in the corner, who
had now resumed his pipe of long clay.
The stiffness was Unexpectedly brOk-
en-. The distant sound of gun rever-
berated through the air-apparenuy
from the direction of the cOuntry-town.
BE jiggered!" cried the stranger who
had sung the song, jumping up.
"What does that mean?" asked sew
eral.
"A prisoner escaped from the jail
that is what it means"
All listened. The sound was repeated,
and none of them spoke but the man in
the chimney-corner, who said quietly,
1--WE often been told that in this county
they fire gun at such times; but
never heard 1t till now"
~ wonder if it is my MANI" murmur-
ed the parsonage in cinder-gray.
Surely it isl" said the shepherd, in
voluntarily. And surely we've seen
him! That little man who looked in at
the door by now, and quivered like a
leaf when he seed ye and heard your
song"
went out of his body" said the dairy
man.
"And his heart seemed TO sink with
in him like a stone," said Oliver Giles.
"And he bolted as if he'd been shot
at" said the hedge-carpenter.
'True-his teeth chartered, and his
heart seemed to sink, and he bolted as
if he'd been shot at" slowly summed
up the man in the chimney-corner.
II didn't notice it," remarked the
grim songster.
"We were all a-wondering what made
him run off in such fright" faltered
one of the women against the wall,
land now It's explained"
The firing of the alarm-gun went on
at intervals, low and sullenly, and their
suspicious became a certainty. The
sinister gentleman in cinder-gray reused
himself. us there constable herep"
he asked in thick tones. IF so, let him
step forward"
The engaged man of so stepped quiv-
ering out of the corner, his betrothed
beginning to sob on the back of the
chair.
you are a sworn constabls?"
81 be, SIR"
"Then pursue the criminal at once,
with assistance, and bring him back
here. He can't have gone far"
II will, sir, will-when I've got my
staff. I'll go home and get it, and come
sharp here, and start in body"
staff! Never mind your staff; the
man1l be gOnel"
"But can't do nothing without my
staff-can l, William, and John, and
Charles Jake? No; for there's the
kings royal crown painted on en- in
yaller and gold. aud the lion and the
unicorn, so as when | raise en- up and
hit my prisoner, it's made alawful blow
thereby. l wouldn't tempt to take up
man without my staff-nO, not l. If |
hadn't the law to gle me courage, why,
instead o. my taking him up he might
take up me!'
"NOw, I'm kings man myself, and
can give you authority enough for
this" said the formidable person in
cinder-gray. Now then, all of We, be
ready. Have ye any lanternsp"
"Yes-have We any lanterns?-I de-
mand it." said the constable.
And the rest of you able-bodied-"
Ill kg1 al Is